Febi, Romana crash out in quarters
Febi, Romana crash out in quarters
By Primastuti Handayani
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN (JP): Indonesia's bid to win tennis
singles crowns at the 20th Southeast Asian Games suffered a major
blow when Febi Widhiyanto and Romana Tedjakusuma were beaten in
the quarterfinals on Thursday.
Febi, the country's best hope to win the men's singles gold
medal, wasted a match point to lose 3-6, 6-2, 5-7 in a close
battle between teenagers with Danai Udomchoke of Thailand. It was
Febi's second defeat to his Thai rival in as many encounters here
after Tuesday's men's team final.
Romana, the 1993 champion who is making her comeback after a
six-year lapse, put up a fight in her match against Maricris
Fernandez of the Philippines before succumbing 6-7, (2-7), 2-6.
Indonesia will now bank on Wynne Prakusya in its quest for the
women's singles gold medal. Top seeded Wynne reached the
semifinals after disposing of Thailand's Suchanan Viratprasert 6-
3, 6-3, and will now meet Kho Chien Bee of Malaysia, a 6-2, 6-0
winner over Marisue Jacutin of the Philippines.
Suwandi gave Indonesia a ray of hope of taking the men's
singles title after beating Selvam Veerasingam of Malaysia 6-2,
6-3.
But the Indonesian No. 1 will find a grueling path to the gold
medal he last won in 1993 as he will take on defending champion
and top seed Paradorn Srichapan of Thailand in Friday's
semifinals. The Thai ace, who beat Suwandi in the team event,
advanced with a 6-2, 6-4 win over Joseph Lizardo of the
Philippines.
Febi was leading 40-30 at 5-3 in the final set when he hit an
inadvertent return to Danai's shot, which apparently went wide,
only to allow the Thai to blast a winner and force a deuce. Danai
maintained the momentum, while Febi's self-control faded
following the crucial mistake.
"I was so close to victory, but I spoiled it. If only I didn't
take the ball, I might have won the match," said 18-year-old
Febi. He shook his head in disbelief.
Suwandi was cautious about a rematch with Paradorn, who made
short work of him on Tuesday.
"It will be a tough day tomorrow because Paradorn is a good
player. But I will try to offer him an all-out opposition,"
Suwandi said.
Doubles
In the men's doubles, Febi teamed up well with his regular
partner Hendri Susilo Pramono to trounce the Philippine pairing
of Michael Misa and Dante Santa Cruz 6-1, 6-1 in only 50 minutes.
Febi and Hendri will challenge Srichaphan brothers Paradorn
and Narathorn, the 1998 Asian Games gold medalists, in the
semifinals. The Thai pair sent Singaporean team of Kho Tung Yi
and Yang Sian packing with a 6-2, 6-1 win.
"The Srichaphans are very strong, but I believe we have a
chance, albeit slim, to beat them," Febi said.
The other semifinal will be an Indonesia-Thailand affair as
well, with Suwandi and Yusmawan Fahmi playing Danai and Vittaya
Samrej.
The new partnership of Suwandi and Yusmawan had a little
trouble in downing the Vietnam pairing of Do Thanh Hoang and Dang
Hong Ann 6-0, 6-2.
Danai and Vittaya beat Malaysian doubles team of Veerasingam
and Ramachandran 6-4, 6-2.
Partnering Wukirasih Sawondari, Suwandi also reached the
semifinals in the mixed doubles. The Indonesian pair edged out
their Singaporean opponents Chen Chee Yen and Leong Jil Lin of
Singapore 6-2, 6-0.
Another Indonesian mixed doubles team of Hendri and Liza
Andriyani also made it through the final four round after
narrowly beat the Philippine pair of Misa and Fernandez 7-5, 3-6,
7-5 in a match resumed from Tuesday due to heavy rain.